Focus Matters
A friend of mine who took a class on motorcycle safety told me that the instructor repeated the following refrain many times during the course: “The bike will follow your eyes.” The basic idea being that if your eyes wander to the side of the road, your bike will...
A Plea for Safety in Honesty
Having accepted Jesus into my life as a small child, I grew up in a church environment that exerted tremendous social pressure to look and behave in certain ways or risk the contempt and disgust of the larger group. In practical terms, though no one would admit it, this...
Don’t Go By Feeling?
How many times have you heard, “As a Christian, you can’t go by your feelings … you have to go on faith!” What does that even mean? It makes my head spin....
Our Need to Be Known
More than anything else, we need to be known and loved at the same time by the same person....
Revenge
As I was driving home from Charlotte N.C. today, a heavy-duty truck came up behind me and closed to within less than 8 feet from my car. I hate tailgating anyway, but this was really unnerving since I was unable to change lanes for quite some time. When I...
A Master Craftsman
Last week my wife and I attended a pottery show about an hour north of where we live. The things we saw there were unbelievably beautiful — cups and plates and covered dishes and so many forms and colors. They were a joy and a wonder to behold....
The Power of Gratitude
I am coming to believe that developing a lifestyle of gratitude and appreciation is far more important than we would normally think, based on how little attention it seems to get. There are so many side-affects of practicing appreciation that it would take a book to explain it all....
Law, Promise, Grace
The Mount of Transfiguration story has always puzzled me (Lk.9:28+). What was that all about anyway? Mostly I’ve heard preachers say it was Moses and Elijah coming to encourage Jesus as He faced his death. But that somehow fails to do justice to such a miraculous moment....
Search me, O God
When the psalmist asks God to search him (Ps.139) it is interesting to note that he is not afraid of what God might find or ashamed to be exposed to God’s review. He is ecstatic: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me!” Why?...
Trust Me
More and more I am drawn to this one idea: that trusting God is absolutely foundational to life. When Jesus says, “Believe in me” He is talking about trusting Him. Trust Him to know how life is supposed to work. Trust that He knows what He is talking about...